Missing Birthday
by Dawn of Chaos
Summary: In her mind its a normal day in her life that she should be having, but in reality it's quite different. In reality...she can't have anything she wants and she wants it so much. - Possible Spoilers -


The heels of her knee-high leather boots stab against the steps of the stairs as she walks up them to get to the front door of her home. Just as she gets a few steps before the door, she pauses. Her muscles tense with the unnerving feeling she gets from walking up to the door. It's something she's done hundreds of times, but for some reason she knows there's something on the other side that's bugging her. Despite not knowing what it is, she takes a step closer. Her legs don't so much as shake as she does so; the brown mini-skirt over her high-topped black shorts smoothed out perfectly as always.

The red cape attached to her uniform, near the metallic pauldron bearing the yellow stripes symbolizing her as a sergeant in the Guardian Corps, sways behind her before she comes to a stop once more. She crosses her arms over her chest donned in a sleeveless white overcoat with a brown turtleneck shirt zipped up to the top over it. Her head tilted to the side ever so slightly; the pink fringe dipping to the side while the rest of her strands rest over her shoulder. Fingers tap against her arm in suspicion but she just can't put her finger on what.

The necklace, with a lightning bolt pendant hanging from it, shifts atop her attire slightly as she uncrosses her arms. Sharp blue eyes lock onto the handle of the door as she reaches for it, opening it slowly. As the door opens fully she glances down the hallway leading to either portion of her home to see that the lights are off as she had left the prior to leaving earlier today. Dismissing the feeling that prods at her to investigate, she proceeds down the left end of the hallway once she's inside with the door shut once again.

The soft glow of the pauldron on her shoulder is her only light as she walks until she's reached the end of the hallway that bowls out to form a rather large room. Before she can begin to assess anything, the lights are snapped on and shouts from all directions are thrown her way; each and every one of them the same. Her eyes, after readjusting to the sudden light, wander up to the banner streamed across the room reading 'Happy Birthday Lightning' in large, pink and blue lettering.

A half smile quirks at her lips as she places her hands on her hips, leaning more so on her right leg. The movement causes the case holding her gunblade, which hangs off her belt, to lean against her. "What's all this?"

The inhabitants of the room, which were previously hidden, reveal themselves and begin to get comfortable about the room. But as she goes to glance toward all of them she finds them gone. Instead of Fang and Vanille on the couch, there are two forms of pure black that are slowly fading away. Her eyes quickly hurry to find the next person; but Hope and Sazh remain the same way. Her heart begins to beat faster in her chest as her eyes frantically search farther to see what could only be a blacked out version of Snow next to the one person that still remains as the last time she had seen her.

"Serah?"

The girl walks away from where she's been standing. Her hair, the same color as Lightning's, sways gently against her left shoulder from being up in a ponytail on that specific side of her head. Blue eyes, albeit it they are a shade or two darker, gaze lovingly at Lightning as she gets closer. A white sleeveless dress shirt, with a semi-transparent pink sweeper, leads down to a red plaid pleated skirt trimmed in black lace. Black thigh-high stockings stretch down into gray ankle boots that seem to give off an echo-like feeling as she walks closer.

Lightning opens her arms to embrace the girl, immediately regretting the decision as Serah hooks her arms around Lightning's waist. Fear crawls up her spine as she directs her attention down to Serah to see only a form of pure darkness. It seems to look up at her and Lightning can't help but feel the sadness pulsating around her.

x.x.x.x.x

In the heart of Valhalla rests the throne of Etro. The immaculate throne of dark stone and blue crystal sits high in the middle of the room, meant for its goddess and her alone. However, in the goddess' stead her lone knight. The crystallized woman sits proudly upon the throne with her legs crossed and blade over her lap. Her head of what used to be beautiful rosy-pink locks remains tilted slightly to the side. Locked forever within her own dreams this warrior of Etro sleeps, her fate halted as if the hourglass was tipped onto its side. On the outside, no one can possibly think up what she's dreaming up for herself; whether it's bliss or turmoil.

Despite it all a single tear appears on her crystal face. The droplet rolls down with ease until finally it leaps off her heart shaped countenance, falling to land on her stalled blade. A tear she's never gotten to cry; for she dreams of a day where she can have that birthday she's missed, that she's dreamed of but with nothing save for happiness instead of sorrow.

* * *

_For a contest over on deviantart...and...God, I should go back and redo this a thousand times over. I think my problem is I'm getting bored. xD Write the scene I started with in my head and getting everything else out is just...a chore. xDDD Crap, hope someone likes this! _


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